The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Various types of networking technologies have been developed resulting in unprecedented expansion of computer networks, television networks, telephony networks, and the like, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users by expanding the capabilities of mobile communication devices and other computing devices. However, as the ease of information transfer increases, users and businesses continue to demand more functionality from communications devices, particularly mobile communications devices.
In the past, mobile communications devices mainly consisted of cellular telephones capable of conducting only analog voice communications. As mobile communications devices have evolved and become more ubiquitous, expanded communications capabilities, as well as secondary functionality have been made available to users via their mobile communications devices. For example, while many mobile communications devices still provide for primary functionality, such as voice call communications capabilities, many mobile communications devices also provide for music and video playing capabilities, photo and video capturing, location identification and destination routing, and the like.
With the wide variety of functionality that is now available on many mobile communications devices, users are continuously desiring and demanding new and different applications that utilize this functionality. Further, as users become more dependant upon mobile communications devices as part of their everyday life, businesses have begun recognizing the potential for utilizing mobile communications devices as platforms for marketing and advertising goods and services.